80s TV Ladies

By: 134 West | Susan Lambert Hatem & Sharon Johnson
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  • Summary

  • 4-time Podcast Awards Winner! Webby nominated for Best Indie Podcast.
    80s TV Ladies is dedicated to the beloved female-driven shows of the 1980s! Do you love 80s pop culture, television and fabulous women? On our show, you’ll hear a breakdown of how these shows got made, how they were influenced by the times and, in turn, how they influenced pop-culture trends to follow. We love discussing the “two-steps forward, one-step-back” lens of media-driven feminism.

    Join hosts Susan Lambert Hatem and Sharon Johnson as they talk about the fabulous ladies of television: Cagney & Lacey, Designing Women, A Different World, The Golden Girls and more.

    With special guests, TV creators and stars! Do these shows we hold so dear hold up? Let's find out.

    Season 1: We examine three “detective duo shows” this season, with multiple episodes and awesome guests for each TV show we cover.
    Scarecrow and Mrs. King
    Remington Steele
    Cagney & Lacey

    Season 2: Multiple episodes per TV show exploring representation and behind-the-scenes insight in science fiction, drama and sitcoms!
    Queer representation in 70s and 80s
    9 to 5 television show
    It's a Living
    Designing Women
    Ladies of the 80s: A Divas Christmas
    Star Trek Ladies
    Moonlighting

    Special guests: Eugenie Ross-Leming, Martha Smith, Robin Bernheim, Stephanie Zimbalist, Evan Ball, Debbie Evans, Barney Rosenzweig, Tyne Daly, Sharon Gless, Karen Arthur, Cynthis Beemis Abrams, Matt Baume, Jane Epsensen, Drew Greenberg, Paul Kreppel, Bryan Edward Hill, Maggie Friedman, Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, Stan Zimmerman, Mary Lou Belli, Nana Visitor, Glenn Gordon Caron, Shery Main and more!

    We publish every other Wednesday.
    Tell us: Who should we interview and what's your favorite 80s Ladies television show? https://www.80stvladies.com
    Susan Lambert and 134 West
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Art Social Sciences
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Episodes
  • All My Children, Mama’s Family, The Nanny | Giving Thanks for Dorothy Lyman

    All My Children, Mama’s Family, The Nanny | Giving Thanks for Dorothy Lyman
    Nov 27 2024
    “The roles I’ve played on soap operas are infinitely superior to any roles I’ve played anywhere else. They are about women and women’s stories. The men are just there to screw you -- or screw you over.” -- Dorothy LymanJust three chicks sitting around talking...Susan and Sharon clean house -- and air some dirty laundry -- with The Nanny director and Emmy-award winning actress Dorothy Lyman. You may know her as Opal Gardner from the long-running soap opera All My Children or as Naomi Oates Harper from Mama’s Family. But did you know she also directed an astonishing 74-episodes of the classic Fran Drescher comedy, The Nanny?THE CONVERSATIONOne-day of work a month on Search For Tomorrow was enough to keep Dorothy from “serving cheeseburgers.” The pay was $400 -- and rent in NY was only $65!COMING CLEAN ABOUT SOAPS: Soap operas addressed abuse and abortion and mental illness and many other issues long before prime time TV. “I think it helped a lot of women stuck at home feeling the same things.”ON SOAP OPERA FANS: “I couldn’t buy myself a beer anywhere in America the whole time I was on the soaps. The fans are different. They feel like they know you.”WHEN CAROL BURNETT CALLS: “Carol Burnett and Vicki Lawrence would watch me as Opal on ‘All My Children’ during their lunch hour on ‘The Carol Burnett Show’ -- that was their ritual. And that’s how I got the job on ‘Mama’s Family’.”A COUPLA WHITE CHICKS SITTING AROUND TALKING: on directing the long-running, Off-Broadway hit starring Susan Sarandon and Eileen Brennan.TRY AGAIN: Mama’s Family was completely reconceived after the first pilot. “We shot one that was really awful. I think the problem was, it was too mean. And it wasn’t funny at all.” THERE’S THE DOOR: After directing three seasons of The Nanny, Dorothy says, “I never got another job directing a single moment of television. I spent many years thinking I’d done something terribly wrong. But it was because I was over 50 -- and I was a woman.”What do you do when Hollywood directing gigs go away? You buy a chicken farm in upstate New York and start writing plays, of course!ON CHANGE: “Change is where it’s at. Nothing stays the same. And I’ve always been one of those people -- if I wanted to do something, I did it.”ON DIRECTING: “It fits my personality. I’m bossy.”So join Susana and Sharon -- and Dorothy -- as they talk Milton Berle, Edge of Night, Celine Dion, visiting Egypt, Another World, Bette Midler, The Women’s Room, Fran Drescher, baked croutons -- and “Where do you keep your Emmys?”AUDIO-OGRAPHYWatch Mama’s Family for free on Pluto TV.Follow Dorothy Lyman at Instagram.com/dorothy_lymanNative American Heritage Month Find out more at NativeAmericanHeritageMonth.govFor more information about the land you live on go to Native-land.caBLACK FRIDAY DEAL!It's an “80’s TV LADIES” HOLIDAY SALE! - Get 20% off on all merch at tinyurl.com/8TLshopMake sure to use promo code “Festive80s”! CONNECTVisit 80sTVLadies.com for transcripts.Sign up for the 80s TV Ladies mailing list.Support us and get ad-free episodes on PATREON. SUPPORT OTHERSSupport those seeking abortion in states where it is outlawed or restricted. Go to ARC Southeast.This year is the 45th anniversary of President Carter's Crisis of Confidence speech. Get Susan’s new play about it: Confidence (and the Speech) at Broadway Licensing. Credits: 80s TV Ladies™ Episode 308. Produced by 134 West and Susan Lambert Hatem. Hosted by Susan Lambert Hatem and Sharon Johnson. Guest: Dorothy Lyman. Sound Engineer and Editor: Kevin Ducey. Producers: Melissa Roth. Sharon Johnson. Richard Hatem. Associate Producers: Sergio Perez. Sailor Franklin. Music by Amy Engelhardt. Copyright 2024 134 West, LLC and Susan Lambert. All Rights Reserved.
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Punched off a Train by Clint Eastwood and the Path to Resilience | Stuntwoman Marneen Fields

    Punched off a Train by Clint Eastwood and the Path to Resilience | Stuntwoman Marneen Fields
    Nov 13 2024
    Susan and Sharon are thrilled to sit down with award-winning singer, songwriter, actress -- and stuntwoman -- Marneen Fields. As a gymnast, swimmer and stuntwoman in the 1970s and 80s, Marneen’s career sky-rocketed with roles on Scarecrow & Mrs. King, Lou Grant, Quincy, Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, The Man from Atlantis, The Fall Guy, Murder She Wrote, Dynasty -- as well as the Clint Eastwood film The Gauntlet.But it was only after a devastating car accident ended her career as a stuntwoman that Marneen found her way back into life by finally embracing her childhood dream of writing and singing songs. Her story is one of resilience, renewal -- and the power of persevering when life’s challenges seem overwhelming.THE CONVERSATIONFIRST BASS: What do you do when you’re the littlest girl in school -- but end up having to playing biggest instrument -- the stringed bass?How a background in gymnastics led Marneen directly into her career as a stuntwoman.IN DEMAND: As an experienced stuntwoman in Hollywood, Marneen’s phone rang off the hook for 15 years.THE FALL GIRL: In 1976-77, Marneen was one of the top stuntwomen in the world.ROSES FROM BRUCE: One of her favorite acting jobs was playing Lee Stetson’s long-lost love “Dorothy” on Scarecrow & Mrs. King.FALLING FOR “QUINCY”: What is it like doing a high-fall off a 76-story building in puffy slippers and a negligee?!?The secret of being a successful stuntwoman? Look like a lot of famous actresses!Getting pushed out of a jet by James Garner!Getting punched off a train by Clint Eastwood!PERFECT PITCH: Marneen’s love for music survives her near total hearing loss in both ears.Just as her acting career was taking off, Marneen was involved in a car accident that nearly took her life -- and led to over a decade of operations and excruciating pain. But on the other end was a whole new life in music…So, join Susan and Sharon -- and Marneen -- as they talk Shirley Jones, Battlestar Galactica, scuba diving, dating stuntmen, mouth-to-mouth with Patrick Duffy -- and “becoming the broken-hearted songwriter I was meant to be!”AUDIO-OGRAPHYFind all of Marneen’s work on Facebook.And Instagram at Instagram.com/HeavenlyWaterfallProductions.Find Marneen’s book The Illusive Craft of Acting at Amazon.Get more info and help support Marneen’s film, Who’s Going To Take Care of Me? at Crowdfundr.CONNECTVisit 80sTVLadies.com for transcripts.Sign up for the 80s TV Ladies mailing list.Support us and get ad-free episodes on PATREON.SUPPORT YOUR NEIGHBORSFind help or ways to help at AbortionFunds.orgSupport Democracy at DemocracyDocket.comSupport freedoms at ACLU.orgREMEMBER: Make sure your vote counted. Track your ballot at Vote.orgThis year is the 45th anniversary of President Carter's Crisis of Confidence speech. Get Susan’s new play about it: Confidence (and the Speech) at Broadway Licensing.
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    58 mins
  • Fan Bar: Get Insider Info on Scarecrow and Mrs. King w/ The Mrs. King’s Chronicles

    Fan Bar: Get Insider Info on Scarecrow and Mrs. King w/ The Mrs. King’s Chronicles
    Oct 30 2024
    There is no fandom like the Scarecrow & Mrs. King fandom -- passionate, dedicated and absolutely obsessed with red hats, train stations, the Q bureau, and Cream-&-Wood 1983 Ford LTD Country Squire Station Wagons.

    In this episode, Susan and Sharon meet up with super-fans Taya Johnston, Jennifer Peterson and Miranda Thomas from The Mrs. King’s Chronicles, a re-watch podcast about -- what else? -- Scarecrow & Mrs. King! From Beaverton, Oregon… to Clarkston, Michigan… to Florence, Kentucky -- these three women (plus their fourth partner, Lexie Fiema who couldn’t make the recording) know their SMK! In this fast-moving and funny conversation, you’ll find out everything you ever wanted to know about podcasting, Amanda King, Lee Stetson and Firefly -- but were afraid to ask…

    THE CONVERSATION
    • What do you do when you want to spend more time with your friends and your favorite show? The answer is easy -- you do a podcast!
    • GETTING HOOKED ON SMK: sometimes it’s in college, sometimes it’s a commercial, sometimes… it’s your mom!
    • IT WAS A THING: recording your favorite shows onto cassette tape so you could listen to them later.
    • Lexie -- the “90s Baby” of the podcast -- wants to know why Lee and Amanda don’t use their cell phones more often. And what’s up with the “two Germanys” thing?
    • PODCAST PIONEER: Miranda has also done internet radio and podcasts about Firefly and Felicity and Alias and Heroes and Chuck!
    • Why do certain shows inspire rabid fandom? And others… not so much.
    • SUBURBAN SPY: The compelling fantasy wish-fulfillment of “Being Mrs. King.”
    • At the “Hollywood Show” fan meet-up: Bruce Boxleitner had his own fanboy moment when he saw TV’s “Batman” -- Adam West. But he never got to meet him because he refused to cut in line in front of other fans…
    • THE ELECTRIC CAMPFIRE: How television -- and now podcasts -- became our place of communal story-telling and shared emotional connection.
    • Ship of Spies? Was there really an SMK cruise? Did anyone get married? Go to a strip club?
    So, join Susan and Sharon -- and Taya and Jennifer and Miranda! -- as they talk 80s retro-love, podcast tangents, Dungeons & Dragons, Miami strip clubs, sweater vests, the Star Wars Christmas Special, living in the Matrix -- and throwing rocks at Cincinnati!


    AUDIO-OGRAPHY
    Listen to the Mrs. King’s Chronicles podcast at MKCPodcast.com

    Check out Taya’s website CallMeaCab.com
    Find Miranda’s Firefly podcast at Serenityfirefly.com
    Find out more about Columbia Willamette River Keepers Willamette-riverkeeper.org
    Get The Ultimate Fan’s Guide to Scarecrow & Mrs. King at Amazon.

    CONNECT
    Visit 80sTVLadies.com for transcripts.
    Sign up for the 80s TV Ladies mailing list.
    Support us and get ad-free episodes on PATREON.

    VOTE
    The Presidential Election is Tuesday, November 5!
    Get info and find your polling place at Vote.org

    This year is the 45th anniversary of President Carter's Crisis of Confidence speech. Get Susan’s new play about it: Confidence (and the Speech) at Broadway Licensing.
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    1 hr and 6 mins

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